1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates to a simulator for a liquid crystal display (LCD) device, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for simulating an image or video data of the liquid crystal display (LCD) device so as to analyze characteristics of the LCD device before developing a product of the LCD device.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Liquid crystal display (LCD) devices display video data or an image using electrical and optical properties of liquid crystals. This can be achieved by the anisotropic properties of liquid crystals exhibited in longer and shorter-axis directions of liquid crystal molecules in terms of physical values, such as refractive index and dielectric constant, and the advantage of liquid crystals that the molecular orientation and optical properties of liquid crystals can be easily controlled. In other words, LCD devices display an image by changing the orientation direction of liquid crystal molecules, and thus, controlling a transmittance of light passing through a polarizing plate. The LCD device includes a liquid crystal panel in which a plurality of pixels are arranged in the form of a matrix, and a driving circuit for driving the liquid crystal panel, and a backlight unit for emitting light on the liquid crystal panel.
Generally, in order to analyze or investigate electro-optical properties based on design parameters of the liquid crystal panel at a stage for developing a product of the LCD device, an optical simulator for the LCD device can be used. An optical simulator of the related art converts optical data based on design parameters of the liquid crystal panel into RGB data, and provides electro-optical properties as a value or graph format, such that only an optical simulation can be made available for the LCD device.
However, the video quality of the LCD device may be affected by other components (e.g., a backlight, a color filter, a polarizing plate) and a unique specification of the liquid crystal panel, such that it may be difficult to predict properties of the LCD device using only the optical simulation. Also, the entire mechanical, panel, circuit, and physical properties of the LCD device cannot be reflected in the optical simulator of the related art, and it is not possible for the optical simulator of the related art to perform video simulation for a multi-primary or a multi-mode. Also, properties of the output panel cannot be reflected in the optical simulator. So, if an image predicted at a product-developing stage is actually implemented, there may be a great difference between this predicted image and the actual output image of the LCD device.